RERF Scientific Advisory Committee deems genome analysis “ready” to begin
Mar. 6, 2025
by Minami Yamashita, Staff Writer
On May 5, following three days of deliberations, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), a body responsible for reviewing the research conducted by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF; in Hiroshima City’s Minami Ward), held a press conference. About a study RERF is preparing that involves analysis of the genomes (entirety of genetic information) of second-generation atomic bomb survivors, the committee deemed it “ready to begin.”
At the press conference, Yoshinari Shimada, co-chair of the SAC and president of the Institute for Environmental Sciences in Japan, emphasized, ”There is no need to continue to wait to conduct the research,” given the explanations provided to the A-bomb survivors and others about genome analysis of second-generation survivors and the system in place for collaboration with research institutions in Japan and overseas.
In response to the comment, Kenji Kamiya, chair of RERF, said that, while he was unable to announce a specific starting date, “We are very encouraged.” He explained that an internal committee of Japanese and American experts would be established within the month to address the ethical, legal, and social issues involved in the study, and that a consultation system for study participants, including genetic counseling, would also be established.
According to RERF’s plans, the organization, using blood samples, will analyze the genomes of approximately 1,500 people comprising around 500 families of A-bomb survivors and second-generation survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Genetic mutations and other conditions will be compared between a group with parents exposed to high doses of radiation and another with parents exposed to low doses.
(Originally published on March 6, 2025)
On May 5, following three days of deliberations, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), a body responsible for reviewing the research conducted by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF; in Hiroshima City’s Minami Ward), held a press conference. About a study RERF is preparing that involves analysis of the genomes (entirety of genetic information) of second-generation atomic bomb survivors, the committee deemed it “ready to begin.”
At the press conference, Yoshinari Shimada, co-chair of the SAC and president of the Institute for Environmental Sciences in Japan, emphasized, ”There is no need to continue to wait to conduct the research,” given the explanations provided to the A-bomb survivors and others about genome analysis of second-generation survivors and the system in place for collaboration with research institutions in Japan and overseas.
In response to the comment, Kenji Kamiya, chair of RERF, said that, while he was unable to announce a specific starting date, “We are very encouraged.” He explained that an internal committee of Japanese and American experts would be established within the month to address the ethical, legal, and social issues involved in the study, and that a consultation system for study participants, including genetic counseling, would also be established.
According to RERF’s plans, the organization, using blood samples, will analyze the genomes of approximately 1,500 people comprising around 500 families of A-bomb survivors and second-generation survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Genetic mutations and other conditions will be compared between a group with parents exposed to high doses of radiation and another with parents exposed to low doses.
(Originally published on March 6, 2025)
